Earth Notes: Saving Electricity and Gas (2016)

Updated 2024-02-26 11:22 GMT.
By Damon Hart-Davis.
Meter readings at home.
Aug2016 dual fuel bill fragment
2016 PV Output
Annual supplier statements state that we are using/importing about 3 kWh electricity and 7 kWh gas on average each day for the year. 2016 was a little colder than the years either side but not remarkable.

2016

2016 data (kWh: e used 1831, e gen -3739, g 3851).

Off-grid 40.1kWh captured by primary (MPPT) solar controller from 2016-08-14.

See the daily PV generation logs for 2016 as .csv and .png chart.

2016 kWh and HDD

See gas use kWh and heating degree days (HDD) by time for 2016 as .csv and .png chart.

2016 kWh vs HDD regression

See gas kWh vs heating degree days (HDD) regression for 2016 as .png chart.

2016 Fuel Consumption Data
2016ElectricityGas
MonthConsumed kWh (/d)Generated -kWh (/d)Consumed kWh (/d) PeriodNotes
2016-01 196 (6.3/d) -71 (-2.3/d) 593 (19/d) 20151231T19:20Z to 20160131T17:48Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 71.0kWh, export 45.3kWh, import 169.9kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 195.6kWh); gas ~53.4m^3 (so 593kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Generation on the first meter passed 21MWh.
HDD12=173 vs 202 last January.
2016-02 160 (5.5/d) -141 (-4.9/d) 561 (19/d) 20160131T17:48Z to 20160229T10:09Z (29d) Meter readings: electricity generation 104.7kWh, export 104.9kWh, import 124.4kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 160.2kWh); gas ~50.5m^3 (so 561kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
HDD12=172 vs 199 last February.
2016-03 180 (5.8/d) -274 (-8.8/d) 497 (16/d) 20160229T10:09Z to 20160331T17:35Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 273.2kWh, export 220.7kWh, import 127.0kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 179.5kWh); gas ~49.7m^3 (so 497kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Passed 20MWh exports.
HDD12=162 vs 138 last March.
2016-04 143 (4.8/d) -455 (-15/d) 192 (6.4/d) 20160331T17:35Z to 20160430T17:15Z (30d) Meter readings: electricity generation 455.0kWh, export 392.8kWh, import 80.4kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 142.6kWh); gas ~17.3m^3 (so 192kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
HDD12=104 vs 73 last April.
2016-05 147 (4.7/d) -756 (-19/d) 141 (4.6/d) 20160430T17:15Z to 20160531T17:41Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 575.7kWh, export 497.5kWh, import 68.9kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 147.1kWh); gas ~12.7m^3 (so 141kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Passed 21MWh exports, and 22MWh+6MWh generation on the two meters.
HDD12=23 vs 30 last May.
2016-06 132 (4.4/d) -474 (-16/d) 110 (3.7/d) 20160531T17:41Z to 20160630T16:27Z (30d) Meter readings: electricity generation 474.2kWh, export 404.4kWh, import 62.3kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 132.1kWh); gas ~9.9m^3 (so 110kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Annual supplier statements state that we are using/importing ~3kWh/d electricity and ~7kWh/d gas on average for the year.
HDD12=2 vs 7 last June and 2 the previous June.
2016 running total (Jan--Jun) 957 (5.3/d) -1990 (-11/d) 2093 (12/d) 20151231T19:20Z to 20160630T16:27Z (182d) Implies total footprint to date -46kgCO2: electricity (average 219W gross) -444kgCO2e @ 0.43kgCO2/kWh (netted), gas 398kgCO2e @ 0.19kgCO2/kWh.
2016-07 135 (4.4/d) -585 (-19/d) 126 (4.0/d) 20160630T16:27Z to 20160731T17:45Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 585.0kWh, export 510.6kWh, import 60.9kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 135.3kWh); gas ~11.3m^3 (so 126kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
HDD12=0 vs 1 last July and 0 the previous July.
2016-08 102 (3.0/d) -563 (-17/d) 75 (2.2/d) 20160731T17:45Z to 20160903T17:46Z (34d) Meter readings: electricity generation 563.0kWh, export 508.8kWh, import 48.1kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 102.3kWh); gas ~6.8m^3 (so 75kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
'Long' month since away on holiday a few days into September. Zero gas use and HDD while away. Electricity use ~1.3kWh/d while away, 50% covered by generation.
Latest Ecotricity projections for our annual imports: e ~1300kWh, g ~3300kWh.
HDD12=0 (calendar month) vs 0 last August and 5 the previous August.
2016-09 132 (4.9/d) -254 (-9.4/d) 103 (3.8/d) 20160903T17:46Z to 20160930T16:43Z (27d) Meter readings: electricity generation 254.4kWh, export 210.4kWh, import 87.9kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 131.9kWh); gas ~9.3m^3 (so 103kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
'Short' month since away on holiday a few days into September.
The load supposedly moved off-grid (~0.3kWh/d) does not seem to have reduced the gross consumption figure.
HDD12=2 (calendar month) vs 14 last September and 5 the previous one.
2016-10 146 (4.7/d) -205 (-6.6/d) 201 (6.5/d) 20160930T16:43Z to 20161031T17:12Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 204.7kWh, export 164.3kWh, import 105.8kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 146.2kWh); gas ~18.1m^3 (so 201kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Large tree to SE hard-pruned 2016-10-04 and may reduce 0800Z--1000Z grid-tie generation dip from shading (see after) this month and in spring.
Gas consumption higher than last year as OpenTRV on test this month.
HDD12=38 vs 32 last October and 15 the previous one.
2016-11 179 (6.0/d) -88 (-2.9/d) 599 (20/d) 20161031T17:12Z to 20161130T18:12Z (30d) Meter readings: electricity generation 88.4kWh, export 58.8kWh, import 149.1kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 178.7kWh); gas ~54.0m^3 (so 599kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
Lots of messing around with OpenTRV algorithms seems to have increased electricity and gas consumption over and above very cold month.
HDD12=154 vs 63 last November and 79 the previous one.
2016-12 180 (5.8/d) -88 (-1.7/d) 653 (21/d) 20161130T18:12Z to 20161231T18:29Z (31d) Meter readings: electricity generation 53.9kWh, export 32.0kWh, import 157.6kWh (thus net consumption (I+G-E) 179.5kWh); gas ~58.8m^3 (so 653kWh @ 11.1kWh/m^3).
HDD12=160 vs 38 last December and 183 the previous one.
2016 total (Jan--Dec) 1831 (5.00/d) -3739 (-10.2/d) 3851 (10.5/d) 20151231T19:20Z to 20161130T18:12Z (366d) Gas usage up due to cold winter.
Not clear why electricity use up again.
Note that grid electricity carbon intensity dropped significantly again in 2016, which would reduce the benefit of our electricity exports, but previous (0.43kgCO2/kWh) figures will be used for comparison.
kgCO2 787kg (2.2/d) -1608kg (-4.4/d) 732kg (2.0/d) ~-0.09tCO2 (~-0.24kgCO2/d) gas/electricity emissions total for 4 people, based on 0.43kgCO2/kWh for electricity (netted) and 0.19kgCO2/kWh for gas, ie slightly carbon negative.
Note that we have not flown this year again, we still do not own a car and travel almost entirely by (usually-electrified) public transport.
~904 words.